The Spirit Triumphs Over All!

Church!!!!

Hi family!!!  Happy Sunday to all of you guys back in America.  I love Sundays!!!  They are my favorite day of the week as a missionary I like them even more then P-Day's.  Church is such a privilege, such a blessing, and if we go with an open heart an uplifting and motivating experience.  Yesterday we had an awesome Sunday!  I am really learning how crucial it is to go to church every Sunday.  It is so important and mom and dad thank you so much for raising me on that truth.  You guys always made church on Sundays so important.  Growing up I remember not missing church to often and when we were traveling we would try to go to church as much as we could.  You always raised me and told me how important it is to go to church and to serve faithfully in the callings you are given.  Thank you!!!:)  

 Wise words from the Elder

 

The fourth Commandment is to Keep the Sabbath Day Holy and that means to go to church.  I love going to church I always have loved it and I love it even more as a missionary.  If we are  not struggling or if we do not have a particular question that does not mean that we go to church just to go and not with an open heart.  If we don't have a certain thing we need that Sunday then we should go to church just to feel the Spirit.  Every chapel throughout the whole world has been set-apart as the House of the Lord where the Spirit resides.  There are three places in this world were we can go and feel a unique, amplified, powerful, feeling of the Spirit.  That is the 150 temples that we currently have throughout the world, our own individual homes, and the Chapels that we go and worship at on Sunday's.  If every Sunday we go to church with a positive attitude and an open heart we will feel of that wonderful Spirit and become edified.  Ya it is hard to always be focused at church on Sundays but as we strive to dedicate a whole day to God we will be blessed for it.  I look forward to every Sunday because I want to feel the Spirit and I always do!!:)  Haha yes it is hard at times because sometimes you have that boring speaker or a non-interesting lesson and so it is easy to just tune out and think about sports.  Haha because that is what I would always do back home.  But what I have found on my mission is that even though some lessons might be boring they are still teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they are testifying of truths and the Holy Ghost witnesses of truths that are being taught.  If we are sitting through a boring talk or something we can try to just listen to the Spirit that is there because it is there and he is always trying to talk to us.  We all know that the Holy Ghost talks to us in a still small voice not a loud booming one so we have to be listening and what a better time to listen then at church where we are sheltered from the world and the Spirit is there.  Haha ya I just love church!!!:):):):)

The Week:

Well this past week has been great!!  Excited for another transfer here in MacArthur and haha week one is already over!!!  Haha wow it needs to slow down!  We have worked hard this past week and it has been a good week.  Um...let's see..... 

Monday was good it was just a normal day because of transfers and we had P-Day on Tuesday.  It was a good day we found a potential while knocking doors and we gave her a Plan of Salvation pamphlet and it was good so we hope to meet with her again this week.  We also were able to catch a less-active home that we had been trying for ages to meet with so that was awesome!!:)  We also taught a really awesome lesson to the J_____'s and they made it to church this week and the week before!!:)  

Tuesday we had P-Day and it was a good day we had to cut it short because we had a lesson with J____ which was amazing like always!!!:)  He is so cool and such a miracle!!  We had a baptismal date set with him for this upcoming Saturday but he wanted to bump it back to the beginning of July so all of his family can be here for it.  He told us that he knows that he needs to be baptized and that he truly wants to be baptized he just wants to wait for his family to be here.  Which we are super excited about!!!  He has been reading, saying his prayers, and has even gone to institute a few times the only struggle he is having is coming to church.  I know that you guys pray for him and we appreciate it so much and it truly is helping.:)  We are so excited for him and the privilege that I have to teach him.:)  

Wednesday was a good day it has been raining really good here lately I think it started this past Wednesday and pretty much rained non-stop until this morning and now it's starting to clear up haha so that made things a little interesting the past few days.  Wednesday night was AWESOME!!!  One of the members in our ward took me and Elder Delahunty to Outback Steakhouse and what a treat that was!!  I was mad I forgot my camera out in the car but haha of course the member made us buy the biggest steaks and oh my gosh!!!!!  THEY WERE SO GOOD!!!!  I hadn't had a big steak like that for ages and it was so good!!  Haha me and Elder Delahunty were so grateful for that member.  Man the members treat us so good here.:)  

Thursday we did some service for a Sister in our ward and did some finding.  Also Thursday night we had an AMAZING lesson with a less-active in our ward with him and his family.  I am so grateful for the spirit and the promptings that it gives us.  We had a plan going into the visit to teach something but while we were sitting there I felt prompted to share something different and it was exactly what they needed.  I knew it was the Spirit and it bore testimony to them that night.  The brother was able to come to church on Sunday which we were so happy about.  

Friday we had our DTM in the morning which is just a training given by our District Leader.  We did more finding and we taught J___ once again!!!:)  We felt like we should just read out of the Book of Mormon with him and it was really good.  

MacArthur District

Saturday was a good day we met with some people and haha tried to stay dry it was really dumping on Saturday.  Sunday was awesome of course but the highlight was Sunday night!:)  We had a fireside last night which was just awesome!!!  And we are so excited for this week because we have Elder Nielsen from the seventy here!!!!:)  He was at the fireside last night and he gave an amazing message to the members in this area and to all of the recent converts of the church.  We have such the privilege this week to have a conference with him and to be trained by him and his lovely wife and President and Sister Back.  We are so excited for it!!!  It will be on Wednesday!!:)  This past week has been good but hard but I have felt the spirit so many times this past week reassure me that what I am doing is right and that the Lord is with us in the work and he leads and guides and watches over us always.:)

We Asked, He Answered:

How is the rash on your hands? Ya we don't really know what is on my fingers Sister Back had me go to a pharmacist and had them check it out and they gave me some creams and it's starting to do better haha it's just annoying.  

Ouchie!!

Where did you get the cool blue suit you are wearing in a lot of your pictures?

Haha oh ya the suit it was given to my by a member here in MacArthur he got some new ones and was going to give it to the pawn shop but he asked us first and it fit me so I took it.:)  Ya all of my other suits still fit.  

Did your flatmates stay the same with this transfer?
Yep our flat mates stayed the same haha transfer was boring for our flat nothing happened.  Elder Ghanadan from Maryland and Elder Ferreira from Brazil.  They are great guys and I love them!!:)  

A flatmate sandwich!

Any special requests for your package? No no special requests for packages you guys always put in the best stuff but maybe some hand written letters would be nice.  Thanks for sending me packages I know they are expensive but they mean a lot.:) 

Do you have a car this transfer? Me and Elder Delahunty share the car with the other Elder's in the flat so we have the car one day and then they have the car the other day it works pretty good because it still gives us a break with the car but still the experience of walking cuz so much more happens when you are on foot.  

Are they missionaries or the FBI? :-)

Mum wishes he was in our Smithfield!

Do you still make popcorn a lot?  

Haha yep still make popcorn not as much as back home but a couple times a week.:)  (looks like they enjoy other snacks as well :-)

The famous "Moon Rocks"

 

Well anyways I gotta go my time on the computer is up but I love you guys have a great week yous are always in my prayers and I love all of yous thanks for everything.

Love Elder Stott